The Ruling on the Deaf-Mute Person in Terms of Religious Obligation
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Is the deaf and mute person obligated like other Muslims?
The deaf-mute person has lost two of his senses, namely hearing and speech, but sight remains with him. Therefore, whatever he understands of the religion of Islam through sight is not excused from him, and whatever he does not understand is excused from him. As for that whose means of transmission is hearing, if he does not understand it through sign language, it is excused from him. Accordingly, if he does not understand anything of the religion, we say: if his parents are Muslims, or his father or his mother is a Muslim, he is a Muslim by following them. If he is an adult, sane, and independent, his affair is left to Allah. However, as long as he lives among Muslims, we rule that he is a Muslim in appearance. He is taught some things through sign language. I know those at the Institute for the Deaf and Mute in Riyadh; they understand through sign language faster than through speech, because there are people who translate for them using sign language, and they understand them directly.
The deaf-mute person has lost two of his senses, namely hearing and speech, but sight remains with him. Therefore, whatever he understands of the religion of Islam through sight is not excused from him, and whatever he does not understand is excused from him. As for that whose means of transmission is hearing, if he does not understand it through sign language, it is excused from him. Accordingly, if he does not understand anything of the religion, we say: if his parents are Muslims, or his father or his mother is a Muslim, he is a Muslim by following them. If he is an adult, sane, and independent, his affair is left to Allah. However, as long as he lives among Muslims, we rule that he is a Muslim in appearance. He is taught some things through sign language. I know those at the Institute for the Deaf and Mute in Riyadh; they understand through sign language faster than through speech, because there are people who translate for them using sign language, and they understand them directly.